What you do:
1. Fry-the mushroom until golden brown. Add diced potatoes, diced zucchini and fry till golden brown. If you have spices, this would be the right time to add them.
2. Fry carrots till tender , add half squeezed lemon , together with chopped bell peppers.Add an onion to your taste.
3. Mix 1&2 , tomato purée and soy sauce.
4. Add the rice and mix with all your ingredients, add more salt and more oil to your taste.

Serve with a side dish of your choice

Baby spinach in peanut and corn added as a side to the main dish.

This delicious recipe was shared and prepared by Prudence, she makes some very eye catching and mouth watering dishes. You can follow her on Facebook: @PrudenceTaika and Instagram: @vinasdrew Below are my other favourite dishes that she has prepared and shared on her social media platforms.

I think I might try this plant-based life after all; I’m sold!

What sort of diet are you on? Have you tried going vegan at any point? How did that work out for you?

The CookOut ZW is a picnic style, family friendly event that celebrates the Zimbabwean summer with special focus on great food and great music. The first CookOut ZW event was held last month and I still have no idea how that missed me but fear not I’m here with the hook up.

This shindig is basically a cool, intimate Sunday chill out event with lots of fun for kids as well! The CookOut ZW will feature succulent meat braaied to perfection by braai masters and the only thing cooler than the music will be the drinks.

A variety of food including but not limited to juicy loin chops, tender flame grilled chicken pieces, hot off the grill burgers, fresh, colourful, crisp salads and soft drinks, coolers, cold beers will be readily available so fear not, you will NOT go thirsty or hungry. Payment options include cash, swipe and Ecocash.

Take it from me, this Sunday The CookOutZW is something you have to check out; I’ll be there you already know I like all things entertaining. Music features include melodious fusions by Bryan K plus Afro-Pop and Soul by Vera.

For more information log onto The CookOut ZW Facebook Page on @theCookOutZW

Prayersoul is giving away 3 CDs of his album, While I Was Away. To stand a chance to win name any 4 songs by PrayerSoul, add them in the comments section of this post, take a screen shot and add to my pinned Twitter or Facebook Page.

Please note that if you win you can only collect your CD from The CookOut ZW event on Sunday from Prayersoul himself.

I used to have a very dysfunctional relationship with food until I realised that food was actually not the enemy. I went on extreme diets at the start of my journey. I remember I went through a phase where I would not eat a filling supper and settle for a fruit or a small tin of yoghurt. The plan was to lose weight fast and if I wanted that to happen I was going to starve myself until I got to my goal weight. BAD IDEA! I only ended up overeating the next day to compensate for not eating the night before. As you can obviously imagine I ended up gaining weight instead of actually losing it. After that I ditched trying to diet and decided I would try something else…

Personally, “dieting” has not worked for me and over the years I have managed to maintain my personal weight range effortlessly through eating filling and nutritious meals. Please note that I LOVE my food very dearly, it is the fuel I need to keep running every other day. I will share my typical meals for a day.

Morning

Before I leave the house I have any fruit in season. I am currently enjoying a selection ofbananas, oranges, naartjies and apples.

Sadza rezviyo, any white meat, vegetables. I cannot stomach a meal without vegetables. The food won’t make sense without it. I am not a fan of red meat mainly because when I was pregnant the aroma of beef made me feel like throwing up and unfortunately for me years later it still has the same effect. ANYWAYS, I was saying; I make sure I eat a filling lunch because I know I will be up and about all day and my food will get to be digested and used up during the day.

*Zviyo is good for you because: it has low GI, more fibre, tastes infinitely better, grain meant for human consumption not cattle feed and it’s an indigenous grain.*

Mid afternoon snack On days my lunch is not so filling I opt to snack on some roasted peanuts or maputi and down that with a glass of water.

Evening

Mushroom stew, vegetables and a small portion of sadza or rice. When I am training for an event of sort I try and make sure I have filling meals. I save the grilled meat and a salad for supper for days I am not doing any intense workouts or when the next day is a Rest Day.

Image from Zimbo Kitchen

I make sure I take my time to prepare delicious meals and not compromise on the quality. My go to place when it comes to looking up easy to make recipes is Zimbo Kitchen ;ever since I bumped into her website my kitchen experience has been the best ever! You should visit her site and try out one or two recipes, I promise you won’t go wrong.

5 Tips To Make Food Your Friend:

Be yourself. Don’t try and hop onto a cabbage diet just because your friend is doing the same. Do what works for you.

Do what keeps you sane. I know for a fact that starving myself for supper is a BIG NO and I will not be doing that anytime soon I would like to have a good nights sleep thank you very much.

Do what you can afford. Some of the available “diets” are actually expensive. I can’t even begin to imagine how much coconut rice goes for in Zimbabwe.

Do something you can do forever. Personally, my eating habits are something that I know I can sustain. If I travel I will still be able to have basic meals and not have to start going about town looking for specific foods.

Eat when you are hungry. Too often you eat just because your body is programmed to eat at that particular time. Sometimes you have to ask yourself if it’s food you actually want or it’s your internal alarm reacting to something it is used to. It’s really okay not to gobble down food all the time.

As you can see, I actually eat with portion control in mind. I don’t conform to “diets” because I strongly believe that my body needs fuel and the majority of the diets that I have tried have left me hungry and unhappy. I eat so that I can exercise and I exercise so that I can eat. Everything in moderation goes a long way. I do not deprive myself of the things that I want to eat or drink (we will talk about this soon) because I believe fitness is a journey that should be enjoyed and not endured.

How are your eating habits? Do you look forward to the meals that you plan for yourself? Where did you get the current diet that you are on and how is it working for you so far?

Stay logged onto my Health and Fitness Journey Series Episode 5 will be live on Tuesday at 9:00am. I will be sharing tips on DIY Fitness. You don’t want to miss this!

I have heard so many people tell me that they never have time to have breakfast. I still can’t get used to that statement because for me breakfast is the most important meal of the day and when I have it I have it like the true queen that I am! The great thing about breakfast is that it’s not a hectic meal and it can usually be ready in 10 minutes depending on what it is you choose to eat. Let me help you break this breakfast thing down.

Who

Everyone should have breakfast, whether you are young, old, fit or unfit.

What

It entirely depends on the individual in question but something filling and balanced with all the nutrients is advisable. Depending on time you can really go all out and make a :

Full English Breakfast (I usually prepare this on weekends when I have time and I will be full till lunch time on this);

Fruit salad

Sandwiches packed with different crunchy bits such as bacon, cucumber, chicken, lettuce, red onion the works!

Omelette which can include a whole range of fresh vegetables and meat.

Smoothies

Breakfast cereal though I don’t eat it myself because it is highly processed and most of it is packed with sugars. I prefer whole grain cereal specifically oats because these keep me fuller for longer.

*I strongly recommend that you cook for yourself; that way you are in control of what you eat and what you put in your food.*

Photo Credit: @smilesobright23 (Instagram)

Where

When you have time then by all means have your breakfast from the comfort of your home. A nice and relaxed environment will make you enjoy your food even better. However; if you are like me and are almost always late for work then by all means pack a lunchbox that you can have from your desk come tea time. Make sure you at least have a fruit before you leave the house; or when you get to the office. It’s completely up to you but please eat something healthy.

Why

Below are some of the reasons why it is important to eat breakfast:

Fuel! I work out A LOT and it would never make sense for me to skip meals because how will I have the energy to exercise?

Reduce the risk of starving and over eating later on. I know this from experience. If I eat right in the morning chances of me craving or snacking till lunch time are close to none.

Weight management.

Focus. When you are full it’s easier to focus on tasks at hand. You definitely won’t be spending your time thinking of what you can eat.

Save. I for one can tell you that ever since I started packing a lunchbox or having my meals from home I have saved quite a bit of money. You would never see me buying a sandwich for $1.50 in Pick n Pay even if my life depended on it!

Photo Credit: @smilesobright23 (Instagram)

According to researchers skipping breakfast can cause fat to form around the belly; which increases the risk of disease…Now tell me why you would want to miss breakfast??

Cauliflower is one of the few things I like to eat but rarely know what to do with other than boil it and add a dash of oil and salt. Thankfully today Yapi was kind enough to share a healthy and easy to make recipe that includes this delicious vegetable.

Chicken stir-fry:

1. Chop and boil carrots and green beans and put aside
2. Chop 1 onion, green pepper and 1 tomato and put aside.
3. Cut chicken breasts into strips, add salt and pepper, paprika and garlic.
4. Add a bit of oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden brown.
5. Add in onions, green pepper, tomato (and whatever vegetables you may want to add)
6. Mix in the carrots and green beans that were previously boiled.

Cauliflower-potato mash:
7. Cut up cauliflower head and potato and boil for 15-20 minutes
8. Strain any left over water and leave aside.
9. Mash with a potato masher, fork or hand blender until it’s at a consistency you like and add parsley (Add milk or left over water to help get a creamy consistency)
10. Serve! Use chopped chives to garnish.

Yapikachi won the cook off challenge we held last week during the #UrsulaChallenge and won herself 5 bonus points. I loved her plate. It’s what I call a “happy plate”. The presentation is on point, there is a variety of colour and texture and best of all you just want to dive in and enjoy it.

Every woman wants a man who can cook; okay I lie, I love a man who can cook so I will speak for myself on this one. Imagine getting home to a meal prepared with nothing but tender loving care by your one and only. Chef Takura(hello beard gang) took some time out to share spinets of his story with me and you can read all about it below.

Poached Eggs with bacon and guacamole

I have always loved cooking, working in hospitality made the choice easier.

My favorite meal changes so often. I am into soups at the moment. I also always love making pizza and pasta from scratch because they are so versatile for toppings and sauces!!

I currently work at Forest Hills Resort as the Managing Director. I love building and making our product better. Sadly I have very little time to cook. (There goes my dream to have a Chef Bae!) Forest Hills is a beautiful location many places to hike and enjoy nature.

Forest Hills

Being the wine lover that I am I couldn’t resist asking him on his thoughts on food and wine…

Pairing food and wine was my last job in Australia where I was the Head Sommelier (a wine waiter) at a Modern European Bistro. Pay attention to the weight of the dish as well as flavour. A hearty beef dish will go better with a full bodied red wine and a light spicy Asian dish would go better with a lighter white wine. Experiment a lot and see what your palette enjoys!!!

I do try and exercise as much as I can. The nice thing about living on a mountain is that EVERY walk has an incline!! I also like to swim and skip.

I have just gained a little more fitness and I get to see the area and take loads of nature photos. The greatest challenge I have had so far when it comes to exercising is making time and there is no one to work out with out here. Chef Takura needs to read about the benefits of running alone.However, I do enjoy running, I will start running when I get someone to chase me!

Shakshuka or eggs in rich tomato sauce

Grilled Crumbed Fish Fillets with home made mayonnaise and pineapple salsa!

Beef Fried Rice

You can get in touch with Chef Takura on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with his mouth watering meals and beautiful views that he constantly shares on social media.

Every woman wants a man who can cook; okay I lie, I love a man who can cook so I will speak for myself on this one. Imagine getting home to a meal prepared with nothing but tender loving care by your one and only. Chef Takura(hello beard gang) took some time out to share spinets of his story with me and you can read all about it below.

Chef Takura

I have always loved cooking, working in hospitality made the choice easier.

My favorite meal changes so often. I am into soups at the moment. I also always love making pizza and pasta from scratch because they are so versatile for toppings and sauces!!

I currently work at Forest Hills Resort as the Managing Director. I love building and making our product better. Sadly I have very little time to cook. (There goes my dream to have a Chef Bae!) Forest Hills is a beautiful location many places to hike and enjoy nature.

Forest Hills

Being the wine lover that I am I couldn’t resist asking him on his thoughts on food and wine…

Pairing food and wine was my last job in Australia where I was the Head Sommelier (a wine waiter) at a Modern European Bistro. Pay attention to the weight of the dish as well as flavour. A hearty beef dish will go better with a full bodied red wine and a light spicy Asian dish would go better with a lighter white wine. Experiment a lot and see what your palette enjoys!!!

I do try and exercise as much as I can. The nice thing about living on a mountain is that EVERY walk has an incline!! I also like to swim and skip.

I have just gained a little more fitness and I get to see the area and take loads of nature photos. The greatest challenge I have had so far when it comes to exercising is making time and there is no one to work out with out here. Chef Takura needs to read about the benefits of running alone.However, I do enjoy running, I will start running when I get someone to chase me!

Shakshuka or eggs in rich tomato sauce

Grilled Crumbed Fish Fillets with home made mayonnaise and pineapple salsa!

Beef Fried Rice

You can get in touch with Chef Takura on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with his mouth watering meals and beautiful views that he constantly shares on social media.

Hello everyone. I hope you had a splendid weekend. Today I have an easy to make salad recipe from my good friend Chef Thami. He is my go to source when I want to prepare something tasty and different and he never lets me down.

Method:
1. In a pan fry the liver till cooked and crispy on the outside. Remove from heat; in the same pan stir fry drained chickpeas for 3 mins then add chopped liver into the pan then fry for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
2. In the same bowl add the tomato, garlic, spring onion, olive oil, salt and pepper, sugar and lemon juice and mix well & serve.
3. If you want a cold salad, then refrigerate for 2 hours then serve.

There you have it, you have no excuse to not whip up something healthy and yummy at the same time. This is definitely going on my list of soul foods. Oh yes, you can have it for lunch or dinner but I will probably have mine for lunch instead.

Fancy some delicious chicken kebabs? Tanyaradzwawill have you bringing out the Chef in you in no time! She makes mouth watering meals and she was kind enough to share a recipe for a delicious and healthy meal that won’t take forever and a day to prepare.

Using large skewers, assemble chicken kebabs alternating between chicken breast piece and a chopped pepper.

Place chicken kebabs on oven tray and cover with foil

Cook in the oven. Cooking times will vary according to size of chicken chunks.

Remove foil for approx 10 minutes to allow kebabs to brown. Glaze with sauce of choice if you wish. I used sweet Chilli sauce.

While kebabs finish cooking, chop up the vegetables (and fruit if you wish) to make a side salad. I used mango to add a sweet element to the dish!

Plate and enjoy !

I am still trying to figure out why I decided to share this post at this time of day because now I feel very hungry! I will make sure I get some of the ingredients today and try this out because it is just the switch I need in my meals and it also looks easy to prepare.

In case you did not know some of the benefits of eating chicken are:

Helps build muscles

Keeps your bones healthy

Relieves stress

Promotes heart health

A big thank you to do Tanyaradzwa for featuring on my blog. I hope you start on a Food Blog soon because you are really great at what you do. You can find Tanya on:

Twitter and Instagram you will be sure to follow her because she definitely has a Smile So Bright!

I LOVE my oats, but it’s the preparing them part that I am not a fan of. Yes I know there are instant oats now but I am one of those die hard people who just take time to adjust to new things.

The one time so many few weeks ago I bumped into one of my favourite blogger’s post and she had put up this recipe that I promised myself I would try this weekend. Does that just not look absolutely divine!! For a fitness enthusiast like me this is the ideal go to meal because it is packed with healthy food options. By the way her blog is absolutely beautiful and I can never get enough of it.

The best part about overnight oats is that you can make them the night before and eat them on the go wherever you are! Which makes them so perfect for people like me who start the day early and don’t get a chance to eat at home (snaps for my morning gym goers!!!) Apart from being really convenient they taste AH-MAY-ZING and are really easy to make. www.onehalfofathird.com

Ingredients

Directions

Mix all your ingredients excluding the berries in a bowl and set aside

Fill your jars halfway with your oats

Slice up your berries and layer on over your oats

Fill the rest of your jars with the oats and place in fridge and leave overnight

To serve: top the jar with more berries and enjoy!

I am definitely giving this a try this weekend and see if I can add this to my list of things I love to eat. In true Zimbabwean style I will definitely be replacing the soy milk and the berries what not with whatever I can get my hands on, the important thing is that fruit is involved somehow, right?